If you’re a Southern Utah homeowner preparing for upcoming surgery, or if you simply want to upgrade your house proactively, grab bars are a huge win and a simple addition that will make your life easier.
There are a few things to consider when choosing a grab bar such as size, material for installation, and finish. Suction grab bars while appealing because they aren’t as permanent and you may be able to install yourself, are not always reliable, especially considering the surface they may be installed on.
Personally I had a recent customer try a suction bar. Even though we had it fully secured at the time of install and let them know to keep an eye on it for the first few days to ensure it was stable, it was no longer secure just a few days later. Due to the texture of the tiles in their bathroom it did not maintain a long term grip and we ended up redoing with permanent drilled in grab bars. If you have non-porous uniform material such as glass or marble that has no texture, suction grab bars may be a perfect fit, with the caveat that they may fail long-term.
Considering size, a typical 32” grab bar allows room for a two-handed grip and lets you maneuver more easily. A 16” grab bar is perfect if you feel confident with a one-handed grip.
Finally, finish: while black and other finishes do look nice and if you are possibly willing to replace them in the future it won’t be an issue. However traditional stainless steel, especially in a bathroom will not age like other finishes or show wear marks. While not always visually appealing, they are a good long-term option for your home.
Grab bar install time varies depending on how many you need installed and the surface through which we’re drilling (typically 1-5 hours), so shoot us a text or give us a call to plan your install today.
Included are a few examples of grab bars in a homes in Hurricane and Saint George that I handled recently.
